Life in Texas Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Tommy Tipton – Lotto Swindler and Bigfoot Hunter?

Fayette County Justice of the Peace Tommy Tipton resigned his judicial office in the wake of the scandal surrounding the arrest and conviction of his brother Eddie Tipton for rigging lottery results. Eddie, the former Director of Security for the Multi-State Lottery Association, is out on bond following his conviction for fraud after attempting to claim a $16.5 million jackpot in Iowa. But Eddie’s legal problems do not end there. He faces another Iowa trial on charges of ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering related to jackpots in other states. But what does all of this have to do with Bigfoot?

Let Red fill you in. Iowa prosecutor Rob Sand has asked a judge to bar any discussion of Bigfoot hunting at Eddie’s upcoming trial. It appears that brother Tommy and two other friends possibly involved in the unfolding scandal are Bigfoot Hunters.

Sand’s motion noted that Tipton is or was a member of the Gulf Coast Bigfoot Research Organization — a group dedicated to searching for Bigfoot and relatives in Southern states whose members “prefer to keep a low profile, due to the repercussions from their peers or employers.” The GCBRO, however, has distanced itself from Tipton and the lottery scandal. A spokesman for the group indicated that it hasn’t had a confirmed Tommy Tipton sighting in years. “It’s been right at, or nearly 15 years since any of us, has conversed with him in any way, shape or form,” founder Bobby Hamilton said.